Compensation For 2nd Niger Bridge Hits N5bn

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, said work is ongoing at the second Niger Bridge as compensation from both ends of Anambra and Delta hit N5billion.

Fashola gave the assurance yesterday when he visited the site of the project at Oko near Asaba in Delta.

Fashola said the modified tax credit policy, the Sukuk Intervention Fund and the Presidential Infrastructural Fund, among others, were aimed at funding infrastructure projects that would make the country globally competitive.

“By my assessment, the piling work is now about 50 per cent.

“At the time I resumed work at the ministry, only the bridge was designed and work had stopped, but because of the commitment of the president, work has commenced.

“For the foreseeable future, I don’t see any reason work will stop again because funding has been provided,” he said.

The minister said the contract for the construction of the already designed link roads from Asaba and Onitsha to the Second Niger Bridge, would be awarded before the end of the year.

Fashola said the Federal Government was also undertaking maintenance work at the existing Niger Bridge to ensure that it continued to serve the citizens.

He said the ministry had received compensation claims in the realm of N3.44 billion to owners of land affected by the second Niger Bridge project.

“We have paid N1.8 billion. Our strategy is to pay in sections where contractors want to commence work immediately.

“We have also received additional claim of N1.5 billion. These claims are the impediment to the entire project,” the minister said.

He asked, “If we are paying N5 billion towards compensation, how much will we spend towards the actual bridge itself? I think people need to understand that for you to have development, there is some cost to it.”

On the Umunya section of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Fashola said the contract had been awarded, adding that work would start in earnest.

Fashola, who later visited Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra, assured that the Federal Government would collaborate with the state government on the inter-change projects by Revenue House, Awka.

Also speaking, the Federal Controller of Works in Anambra, Mr Innocent Alumonah, explained that the second Niger Bridge was about 1.5 kilometers in length, with two spans of 40 meters each.

He said about 180 piles have been driven into the earth out of over 600 piles meant for the foundation of the bridge.

“The contractor has also put a lot of geo-textiles to the ground and constructed culverts as part of early works for the project which will soon be completed,” Alumunah said.

In a remark, Governor Willie Obiano commended Federal Government’s commitment to the Second Niger Bridge and appealed for the refund of N50 billion spent in rehabilitating federal roads in the state.

Obiano also appealed to the Federal Government on the Nnewi cluster power supply project as well as the proposed Regina Junction project on Enugu-Onitsha expressway.